Committee approves planning for new Kittredge school on ‘clean site,’ meaning multi‑year relocation for students

The North Andover School Committee voted Thursday to direct the Kittredge School Building Committee (KSBC) to proceed with designs that place a newly built Kittredge on a cleared site on the school property, rather than constructing while the existing building remains occupied.

The motion (moved by Mr. Brown, seconded) passed unanimously. Committee members and district staff said the clean-site option would provide construction safety and efficiencies, improved traffic and pick-up/drop-off flow, better opportunities for siting play areas visible from the building, and classroom orientation benefits that could reduce long-term heating/cooling inefficiencies.

Why it matters: To build on a cleared site the district would relocate Kittredge students during construction. Superintendent Lathrop clarified that current schedules estimate the rebuilt Kittredge would open in fiscal year 2029 (meaning a September 2028 school opening) and that the building would be offline for about three years while the project proceeds. That timeline depends on approvals from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), town debt-exclusion or levy decisions and the construction schedule.

Parents and teachers at the meeting strongly objected to any plan that would close Kittredge for multiple years. Multiple public commenters said moving Kittredge students across town would disrupt student support services, bring transportation concerns and interrupt established academic and social ties. “My daughter is a second grader at Kittredge. To be honest, she is thriving there. Closing Kittredge would not only be heartbreaking, but would have long-term effects on our children,” said parent Melissa Nesta.

What the KSBC reported: Architects and project managers presented three new layout options that centered the structure on the property; the KSBC listed five principal advantages of that configuration: better isolation from adjacent homes, a safer construction environment if students are relocated, likely smoother construction and potential cost efficiencies, improved traffic flow and curb-cut options for pickup and drop-off, and the ability to orient classrooms for east–west natural light.

Timing and dependencies: Committee members repeatedly noted the decision to instruct the KSBC is an early planning direction, not a final funding commitment. Funding and schedule remain contingent on MSBA actions, town-meeting votes and any future override or debt-exclusion decisions that would affect levy capacity. Committee members and the town manager’s office discussed how using excess levy capacity now would affect the town’s ability to fund facilities items later.

Ending The committee’s instruction to the KSBC moves schematic planning forward on a clean-site design. Parents and staff at the meeting urged the committee to continue community outreach and to make relocation plans that preserve special-education services and minimize disruption if the project proceeds.